erikdorset

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
The biggest problem I have with these speakers is accepting the fact that I paid very little for them, but I think that this is going to be the beginning of a great friendship.

I'm not an audio enthusiast, but a professional musician, and have been performing for the past 15 years with a Berlin-based chamber orchestra called the Akademie für Alte Musik. The group goes on tour a lot and does one or two recordings each year, so I'm used to listening to the difference between 'live' and 'studio' in various situations.

Long story short:

When I began to listen to speakers, I was originally drawn to a store offering a closeout sale on KEF iQ1's. Unfortunately the KEFs were right next to a tiny pair of Harbeth studio monitors that put everything else in the store to shame- a pity because I simply don't have that kind of change.

Leaving the store like a lover who had just been rejected in the worst way, I decided to try one of the electronic houses where there was also a listening room before giving up. I knew that the Avant 904i speakers were there, but every other time I had visited the place someone was testing to see how loud the speakers could go. Luckily, nobody was there this time, so I popped in a cd and... ended up listening to them for an entire hour, enjoying myself immensely. I bought the pair for under 400 Euros a week later.

There are a lot of things that I really like about this speaker. No, they're not heavy in the bass, but they're even- I hear detail and transparency in the sound to make me want to really listen to the music. I also really like the cleanness in the colors they produce- which seems to be perfect for modern recordings of chamber music, baroque orchestras, and jazz ensembles. Do give them time to break them in- my ears are noticing this from day to day how the treble is softening and the bass is taking shape.

What I don't like is that the 904i's are making me realize that some of the cd's I have are just badly recorded... probably the Harbeth's would be worse in that sense, but then I realize that in the end I want speakers where I enjoy listening to the music, not speakers where I am dissecting it apart. The Avant 904i's fit the bill nicely.

PierreB1965

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $200.00 from local store

Summary:
i recently bought these speakers (the 904 avant) and really do like them a lot.


I compared them with dali blue 3003, and wharfedale diamond 9.5'S

and ended up buying the least expensive of the bunch i audiotionned

but must stress the point that they absolutely have to be broken in, dont judge them right out of the box.....

i find they are well balanced, with nice highs and mids, and a thight bass... especially since i filled the base with sand. the soundstage is wide and , listening to them at a moderate level, very pleasing... i dont think these speakers are meant to riock the house, but then again...


they took a while to break in, and i think the process is not quite done yet, because they seem to be pleasing me more every time i listen to them....

so to everybody wanting a pair of these babies, let them walk before you let them rum, you wont be diapointed...

Strengths:
well balanced, especially if you fill them up with dry sand
nice size
great looks

Weaknesses:
none so far

Similar Products Used:
dali blue 3003
wharfedale diamond 9.5

KillCrazy123

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $299.00 from Richer Sounds Liverp

Summary:
The speakers I purchased were actually the MS914's not the smaller 904s. I bought these speakers around a year and a half ago as an upgrade from the older MS25 pearl editions. When i first bought these speakers they were being connected to a yamaha ax496. They sounded very bright and almost gave me a headache at first, there was little to none bass unless i turned the bass controls up. When i purchased the speakers i was recoomended that it would take a good month before the speakers would start to "burn in" and open up so i decided to stick with them and give it a try. I was extremely glad i didnt return these speakers as after a couple of months and the adition of a nad c350 the speakers really came into a game of their own! The sound was unrecognisable from the sound first produced out of the box. They gave a relaxed, detailed, sharp sound with quick and lumpy bass which i have been enjoying for the past year so far...listening to msuic ranging from electronic to classical, these speakers will suprise you! These speakers will kill any other speaker in the £300 mark and I dont know why they arent more widely available?

Strengths:
Rich wall of detailed sound if positioned right. I recommend placing them as far away from the back wall as possible to avoid any reflections. The price £299! CPC driver is quick Alluuminium Tweeter never seems to distort on the highestr of frequencies.

Weaknesses:
Sometimes the treble can be too much after a while.

Similar Products Used:
Eltax symphony 6.2 Mission M73 Mordaunt Short MS25i JPW ml810

amperidian

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $370.00 from Kromer Radio

Summary:
One more addition to users of the Mordaunt Short 914's. I found the best imaging results in a 8 foot equilateral triangle with the speakers SLIGHTLY (and I mean slightly) toed in. If you follow MS's directions on speaker setup it will eat up (yes that's a good way to put it) your imaging and soundstage. You'll end up with sound coming out from a hole, with no instrument separation, muddy midrange and so on. If you open them up to about 75-80 degrees (90 degrees would face you directly) and use good components, you will see how well these speakers can present the music put out by your equipment. Also, I have them about 3 feet away from the wall (increased soundstage depth compared to 1.5 feet from the wall). Experiment with these speakers, you may be surprised. Also remove the covers if you want to open the sound up and improve the clarity of the midrange. Good luck.

Strengths:
mentioned below

Weaknesses:
mentioned below

Similar Products Used:
listed below

amperidian

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $499.00 from Kromer

Summary:
This is to correct a mistake in my posting below. The Monitor Audio's named there are the S6's not the S9's and in all honesty, Monitor Audio Silver is definitely a better speaker then Mordaunt Short Declaration, but the price difference is also a factor to consider. I still think that the MS 914's are awesome speakers, and not just because I own them, but because I love their sound ... which although perhaps not as open, is very laid back, detailed and natural ... and that's what I enjoy. As for the Monitor Audio's, well if I had the money, I'd definitely give them a try ... they are even smoother.

Strengths:
all listed below

Weaknesses:
all listed below

Similar Products Used:
see review below